Operational Support Officer

The HMCTS Operational Support Officer is the first point of contact for our users, judicial office holders, and partner agencies, providing exceptional customer service, including those who are vulnerable or who have additional complex needs This versatile role is at the heart of delivering day-to-day administrative and operational support to a variety of functions, including facilitating all types of hearings across all HMCTS business areas and will have a direct impact on the delivery of justice. This role may be based in Courts and Tribunal sites or across National Services and Criminal Fines Collection and Enforcement. The role will support HMCTS users in a variety of ways, including (but not limited to), in-person, over the telephone, digital and written communications. The HMCTS Operational Support Officer will help maintain the smooth flow of operations, dealing with a wide range of enquiries and resolving issues to prevent delays to cases or services. This role will perform a variety of general administrative duties and manage user contact to assist in the running of functions across HMCTS operational business areas, making use of digital channels to work closely with colleagues, judicial office holders, and other stakeholders. The purpose of this role is to support the operational delivery of a high-quality service, supporting the delivery of justice, both in and outside of hearings and across the range of HMCTS operations. The Operational Support Officer role may work across multiple business areas, undertaking a range of activities as and when required driven by business need. Key Accountabilities The following list provides a summary of some of the activities that may be performed, and is not exhaustive: Customer Service

• Undertake all administrative tasks to prepare for, facilitate, and result all types of hearing.
• Provide users and stakeholders with or signpost them to appropriate available support via face-to-face engagement, telephone and webchat interaction (incoming and outbound), and responding to correspondence in a range of formats. This includes users with specific and potentially complex needs, providing clear and consistent information to aid all users to participate in justice effectively.
• Use HMCTS service scripts and knowledge articles to direct users to relevant services, ensuring users are provided with appropriate and specific information relating to their query, utilising all contact methods.
• Follow complaints policies and procedures, supporting users through the process and providing immediate response as necessary to prevent escalation and updating OPTIC as required.
• Identifying risks relating to HMCTS buildings, informing the Senior Person on Site (SPoS) as required, and provide immediate response as necessary.
Operational Support
• Process work using standard operating procedures to meet performance targets and maintain operational and service standards.
• Handle case files, ensuring accurate data entry, secure information management, and compliance with retention and data loss protocols.
• Manage jury service tasks, including selection, deferral, reassignment, and attendance tracking, as well as processing related expenses and court fees.
• Assist with listing and scheduling, ensuring efficient use of judicial time, responsiveness to urgent matters, and adherence to listing policies.
• Provide dedicated judicial business support, such as diary coordination and administrative tasks, as locally required.
• Support enforcement procedures, including conducting financial assessments, aiding fine collection, and producing basic statistical and financial reports.
• Contribute to health and safety operations, including PEEPs, facility checks, issue logging, and key/safety governance under team leader guidance.
• Any ad hoc or additional duties that may be required by business need that is appropriate to the grade of the role., Knowledge of HMCTS practices and procedures to ensure these are adhered to and followed by public and professional users.
Problem Solving and Decision Making
• The role holder will make routine everyday decisions to prioritise their immediate workload and make adjustments in light of urgent and immediate requests.
• Apply corporate guidelines to make routine decisions and take prompt action to support service users, including those with additional needs, through all forms of communication.
• Follow established procedures and protocols to handle administrative decisions, escalating complex or exceptional matters as needed.
• This role will make decisions in line with the operational framework, policies, procedures, and guidance to support their team and the business to deliver expected performance targets.
• Exercise sound judgment in non-routine situations, such as security risks, safeguarding concerns, and interactions involving Potentially Violent People (PVP).
• Promote a collaborative team environment by sharing knowledge, mentoring peers, and coaching colleagues using existing resources and expertise.
Management of Resources
• Use existing resources to provide learning, development, and training support for colleagues, including mentoring and coaching to support learner journeys within HMCTS.
• Responsible for reporting and logging building, facilities, and IT issues, escalating these where appropriate.
• Implementation of special measures and reasonable adjustments to allow vulnerable users to contribute and participate in hearings.
• Booking interpreters, intermediaries, and other professionals for hearings. Signing time sheets on the day of attendance.
• Adhere to resource schedules to ensure service demand can be met.
Autonomy
• Following HMCTS policies, procedures, frameworks, and guidelines to resolve issues and effectively manage activities, working autonomously where required.
• Carry out official duties on behalf of HMCTS on specific work tasks subject to relevant training where appropriate.
• Assess issues in the moment and respond and acts accordingly to prevent escalation.
• Work closely with, and taking direction from, Team Leaders following policies, procedures, and protocols, and use them to resolve routine matters.
• Escalate any serious or complex issues and report on matters to ensure the Team Leader is aware of incidents.
• Maintain own knowledge of digital systems and contribute to and update local knowledge management systems to effectively carry out this role.
Key Relationships and Contacts Key Relationships and Contacts include but not limited to: Internal
• Colleagues from across operations, central functions, enforcement colleagues, and Bailiffs - sharing information and building relationships for effective working partnerships, including development of casework.
• Judicial office holders - providing information and receiving instruction to ensure smooth running of justice.
• Facilities Management - sharing information and building relationships for effective working partnerships.
• Jury Central Summoning Bureau - exchange of information about jurors to ensure smooth running of courts and hearings.
• Justice Partners and Other Government Departments (OGDs) - exchanging information, querying, and providing information.
• Contracted Service and maintenance providers - greeting, sharing information to ensure safe operation of the location.
• Workforce Management- to support effective resource planning.
External
• Service users, members of the public and Jurors - explaining information to meet external user needs, signposting users to the correct information, or explaining court processes and procedures.
• Third sector providers and Witness Services - exchange of information to ensure the smooth running of case progression and hearings.
Additional Information Working Arrangements & Further Information The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity. Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone's circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) - See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity). For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location's respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended). Some of MoJ's terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made. MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer. All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet. Flexible working hours The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ's Flexible Working policy., We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods Statement of Suitability Statement of Suitability Guidance for the Statement of Suitability Please tell us why you are suitable for this role. Demonstrate your transferrable skills, knowledge, and experience against the 'Essential Skills and Criteria' outlined in the advert. This can be work or education based or gained in other environments such as volunteering. Using the full word count (500 words) and providing personalised real-life evidence of experience gained will help achieve the highest scores. You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own and can lead to your application being withdrawn. Evidence of Experience Statement of SuitabilityInterview stage assessments Interview Dates Interview dates are expected in early July. Behaviours Communicating and Influencing Managing a Quality Service Delivering at Pace Strengths Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here. Level of security checks required DBS Basic


• Ability to work flexibly as part of the team, undertaking tasks delegated by the Team Leader to enable the delivery of team and business priorities.
• Digital skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and other databases.
• Communication skills to undertake broad customer service and administrative tasks and explain complex procedures to users in potentially difficult scenarios. Develop and utilise effective working relationships with stakeholders across the organisation, and partners, to support service delivery. Utilising proactive resolution skills to resolve routine problems and escalating them where appropriate.
• Customer Service skills to effectively respond to user needs and support requirements to enable effective participation, including witnesses in hearings and cases that may involve complex situations and users, dealing in accordance with established protocols and escalation criteria.
• Resilience to remain impartial and professional when faced with difficult or distressing situations and/ or information.
  
  The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
A Great Place to Work for Veterans The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces. For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

The MoJ offers a range of benefits: Annual Leave Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years' service. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis. Pension The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best. Training The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities. Networks The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. Support
• A range of 'Family Friendly' policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order
• To Transformative Business Services (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)
As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.